Reid: Founding Fathers created America for … pork

posted at 10:07 pm on March 12, 2008 by Ed Morrissey

If Harry Reid didn’t exist, Republicans would have to invent him. His latest hilarity comes in response to the effort by DeMint to win a one-year moratorium on earkmarking. Reid objected this evening, claiming that the Founding Fathers would weep at the loss of the mechanism that allows legislators to sell Congress to the highest bidders:

“As we look back in history, the Founding Fathers would be cringing to hear people talking about eliminating earmarks,” Reid said, noting that the Founders dictated in the Constitution that all spending should originate in Congress, not the executive branch.

Ah, yes. I’m sure Reid believes that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin would all wail and gnash their teeth at the loss of Reid’s ability to send $750,000 to the Community College of Southern Nevada for Internet-based courses. That’s why they created the three-branch federal system of government — so that Reid could suck up to home-state voters by siphoning federal funds for a community college.

The argument itself suggests Reid should attend a civics course. The power of appropriations does not mean earmarking. It means appropriations, which involves floor votes on fully-disclosed spending. Congress appropriates money for federal spending, which means funding agencies that share power between the branches. While an argument could have been made at one time that earmarks would preserve some Congressional prerogative over the direction of agency efforts, Congress itself has dissipated any moral authority they had for that argument in a quarter-century orgy on the taxpayer dime — and that applies to both parties.

Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin may be turning over in their graves, but it’s because the leader of the Senate they created has no idea what the hell Congress actually does. According to his performance in the last year, he apparently thinks it has responsibility for lobbyist payoffs and surrendering to terrorists.

Thomas Jefferson made a similar prediction in a letter to James Madison dated March 6, 1796, challenging Madison’s proposition for improvements to roads used in a system of national mail delivery. Jefferson wrote:

Have you considered all the consequences of your proposition respecting post roads? I view it as a source of boundless patronage to the executive, jobbing to members of Congress & their friends, and a bottomless abyss of public money. You will begin by only appropriating the surplus of the post office revenues; but the other revenues will soon be called into their aid, and it will be a scene of eternal scramble among the members, who can get the most money wasted in their State; and they will always get most who are meanest.

Sounds like Jefferson knew the character of men like Harry Reid, Robert Byrd, Ted Stevens, and John Murtha, 200 years before they tried racing for the title of “meanest”.

Breaking on Hot Air

Blowback

Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.

Ah, yes. I’m sure Reid believes that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin would all wail and gnash their teeth at the loss of Reid’s ability to send $750,000 to the Community College of Southern Nevada for Internet-based courses. That’s why they created the three-branch federal system of government — so that Reid could suck up to home-state voters by siphoning federal funds for a community college.

Actually, Harry, The Founders would probably be far too sickened by cretins like yourself taxing The People into oblivion while plotting to take away their rights to free speech and their right to bear arms to notice your whining about pork.

That and most of them would have already seen you hanged for sedition for declaring the current conflict in Iraq as “lost” to a global audience while we still have troops in the field taking fire.

Reid know exactly what Congress does. He may even know what it’s supposed to do. He just doesn’t give a fig. He buys his seat with bread and circuses, and that’s what taxes mean to him. Every cent spent on national defense is less money left for him to play the game–and win.

I wondered what the reaction would be of the public and press if the President vetoed a bill plagarizing the words of our founding fathers. For example, veto a transpotation bill and use James Madison’s Veto of Federal Public Works Bill. I would love to see today’s press say how evil the president and vis a vis James Madison, the father of our Constitution.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton helped secure more than $340 million worth of home-state projects in last year’s spending bills, placing her among the top 10 Senate recipients of what are commonly known as earmarks, according to a new study by a nonpartisan budget watchdog group.

Working with her New York colleagues in nearly every case, Clinton supported almost four times as much spending on earmarked projects as her rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), whose $91 million total placed him in the bottom quarter of senators who seek earmarks, the study showed.

Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the likely GOP presidential nominee, was one of five senators to reject earmarks entirely, part of his long-standing view that such measures prompt needless spending.

The Democrats are really, really great (for pork)
I’ve made my contribution so I don’t have to wait (for pork)
There’s always some earmark (for pork)
If someone has a lark (for pork)
An add-on and my town has a new park (it’s pork!)

The Democrats are for pork
The Democrats are for pork
Harry Reid beats Howard Roark
With pork, pork, pork!

In all fairness, it’s not like the Democrats are the only members of Congress at the trough. Both parties have a long way to go. Perhaps we should mail them each a copy of Common Sense and the Federalist Papers?

While an argument could have been made at one time that earmarks would preserve some Congressional prerogative over the direction of agency efforts, Congress itself has dissipated any moral authority they had for that argument in a quarter-century orgy on the taxpayer dime — and that applies to both parties.

Even if people don’t want to contribute money to buy this moron a history/government textbook – can someone at least email Reid this thread (with links included) so that he can see AGAIN that he does not know what he is talking about. I have appreciated the history lesson read via the links included in the comments above!

Re: Harry Reid. Those whom the gods would destroy, they first make insane.

We REALLY need term limits for these scumbags.

Yes, and a spouse ban, a sibling ban, and a two generation ban on descendants. Put an end to having to die them out of office as well as the imbeciles of dynasty. Right now it’s like medieval Europe without the hemophilia.

Speaking of the Founders, one of the factors thar finally reconciled them to independence was the belief that the British system was corrupt and probably unrecoverable–with money talking, virtue walking.

What was that again, *Senator* Reid? Maybe you should go look into the self-serving actions that got the original Senate–the Roman one–a fully paid ticket into obsolescence, courtesy of Augustus, circa 27 B.C. Could have been something about using the structure of the state for personal power/aggrandizement, with little thought to the greater good.

If memory serves me correct, the founders debated that a voter needed to be a property owner, for fear that people would just vote themselves money. In time they decided that the Senate would represent this ideal, and the lower house represent the people as a whole. Too bad the Senate doesn’t live up to its ideal.

Yes, and a spouse ban, a sibling ban, and a two generation ban on descendants. Put an end to having to die them out of office as well as the imbeciles of dynasty. Right now it’s like medieval Europe without the hemophilia.

If memory serves me correct, the founders debated that a voter needed to be a property owner, for fear that people would just vote themselves money. In time they decided that the Senate would represent this ideal, and the lower house represent the people as a whole. Too bad the Senate doesn’t live up to its ideal.

Conservative Voice on March 13, 2008 at 12:09 AM

Back to Civics class! The Senate in the Constitution was NOT elected by the people. Article I, Section 3: The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote.

In other words the Senators would answer to the state government. When the seventeenth Amendment was passed (1913) the Senate became nothing more than two more Representatives that didn’t have to run for reelection as often. Now the Senators buy their votes from their constituents with earmarks.

It sounds like it needs to be ratified again…but that would take a revolution. Hate it when we create an amendment without thinking it through, that is government for you…writing laws to solve the problem the previous law created

My only question is why the hell do the good people of Nevada keep allowing this certified moron to represent them in the Senate. The goof has pretty much made the state a laughingstock with his idiotic antics and equally stupid comments, so where the hell is the recall vote?

YUP! As with John “F”ing Kerry, Reid is another example of the scumbags that the Demoncrats elect to high public office and the very reason that I will NEVER vote DEMONCRAT in my lifetime – give me Ralph “F”ing Nader anyday!

Mccain said he was grateful for the pathetic brown nosing Romenee performed on Hannity Wednedsday night and said there will be “a place in the party” for Mitt. Ouch. That’s political speak for an Ambassador appointment. Mav will never let that guy near the white house. He has too much love and respect for the character of the USA to do that.

Maybe Harry Reid could reread the 10th amendment to the constitution. You know, the one that says the federal government’s powers are extremely limited, power should be concentrated at the local level. It pretty much makes the Dems and even the Repubs unconstitutional in their governance. I think it was Voltaire who once said that once the governed learn how to empty the treasury through voting, all is lost…Neo-Libertarianism is what this country needs now. FairTax to take power away from the political class. Fauxbama’s main screed is to change. He is the agent least likely for change. It’ll be more fascist economic policy like it always is, with politicians voting the well dry……………Oh well……….

This quote from Reid is gift! “Why, why, why can’t our side take advantage of these statements?” I think our side will use these statements. My guess is that ads are already being put together and Reid’s comments will be heard again and again. The problem is, is that Republicans in Congress all too often aren’t on our side. Transparency and accountability conservativism has not been synonymous with Republican under G.W.B.

Least we forget, Mr. Reid and his cohorts are elected by the people of their state. So what does that say about our fellow citizens? Senator Reid is an embarrassment to Nevada, but I bet he gets re-elected.

My Representative Wayne Gilchest lost in the primary after 19 years in office. I had been a supporter and significant contributor of his since the first time he ran and lost. He is a nice man, but had become a professional politician caught up in the latest political PC ideology. I wrote him many letters trying to get him to see what I believed was wrong about his representation of our district. I finally concluded that it was time for him to go as did many of my friends and a significant number of voters.

Note that former very liberal Senator McGovern and presidential candidate has now decided that through the nanny state policies of our government, we are harming our country and the individual strength of our citizens. That he had “come to realize that protecting freedom of choice in our everyday lives is essential to maintaining a healthy civil society.”

Good for Mr. McGovern; now it is time for all Americans to wake up to what has now become so obvious to one of our most liberal modern senators and presidential candidates.

I say it again….if you draw a Hitler mustache on Reid, he looks like crazy Adolph giving one of his speeches. All Schuboob needs is a Luftwaffe uniform and field marshal baton, and he’s a trimmed down Goering.

This is what we have for congress. Interpretive goon squad fulfilling their own agenda Disgusting.

As to the family speculation above, Harry does have kids. One, Rory, is a Clark County (Vegas) Commissioner and Nevada chair for the Hillary campaign. Sometimes the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Part of the issue with Senators is that they are supposed to be statesmen (I know, I know…) serving 6 year terms. Reid was elected in 2004, I think he feels a lot of freedom in the middle years of his term to spout off, and he is in a uniquely powerful position as a Nevada senator who is leading the Senate. That don’t happen so often for Nevada, and as long as he keeps funneling pork, blocking Yucca Mt., etc. he’s probably pretty safe.

I do think he’ll have to make some amends after the ’08 Presidential election to prepare himself for his next Senate election in 2010. Between now & ’08, however, he can say pretty much whatever he wants.

I just hope his idiocy is clear enough to prevent the Democratic candidate from appointing him to a higher position if they win in ’08. If Hillary wins, and appoints him to a position in the federal govt., he doesn’t have to worry about the Senate campaign.

I think it was Voltaire who once said that once the governed learn how to empty the treasury through voting, all is lost… adamsmith on March 13, 2008 at 9:16 AM

Actually, it was Alexis de Tocqueville in “Democracy in America”, but your point is valid. How is it that the leader of the US Senate and a democrat can try to totally subvert the clear meaning of his party’s founding father, and not be called on it by everyone?

I don’t think anybody’s working on recall. Another tidbit of disheartening information- Nevada’s junior senator, Ensign, is a Republican and chair of the NRSC. I don’t know what they really think of each other, but more than one report notes that Ensign and Reid have a good working relationship and work together on “Nevada issues.”

Think we can get rid of a Dem Senate leader whose Republican state counterpart seems to get along with?

I would really love to see our NRSC chair assist with knocking off Reid (e.g., Daschle) but I just don’t think it’s gonna happen at this time.

“We have the right, as individuals, to give away as much of our own money as we please in charity; but as members of Congress we have no right to appropriate a dollar of the public money.” -Davey Crockett

This was said during a debate on a bill to give an admiral’s widow a pension. The bill was voted down.

I wouldn’t cross the street to pee on Reid’s head if his hair was on fire.